Multi-media data communication system having a plurality of types of graphical user interfaces

Abstract

In a multi-media data communication system, there are in a server a plurality of user graphic interface (GUI) structures which are different in metaphor image from each other but function to provide the same service. A service request including a metaphor designating data for designating a specific one of the plurality of GUI structures and a terminal identifier of a request issuing terminal equipment of a plurality of terminal equipments is issued from the request issuing terminal equipment to the server via a bidirectional communication line. The server determines whether the request issuing terminal equipment is allowed to receive a service and whether the service request includes the metaphor designating data when it is determined that the request issuing terminal equipment is allowed to receive service. When the service request includes the metaphor designating data, the server transmits the specific one of the plurality of GUI structures to the request issuing terminal equipment in response to the service request. The request issuing terminal equipment designates a specific service using the transmitted GUI structure transmitted from the server and the server provides the specific service designated based on the transmitted GUI structure by the request issuing terminal equipment. In this manner, the request issuing terminal equipment can receives the specific service from the server.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A multi-media data communication system comprising: a server having a plurality of graphic user interface (GUI) structures which are different in metaphor image from each other but function to provide the same service, for transmitting a specific one of said plurality of GUI structures in response to an inputted service request including an identifier data for designating one GUI structure, and for providing a specific service designated based on said transmitted GUI structure; and   a plurality of terminal equipments that are connected to said server via a bidirectional communication line and each of which is capable of issuing the service request, wherein a request issuing terminal equipment of said plurality of terminal equipments issues the service request including the identifier data to said server via said bidirectional communication line, receives said GUI structure transmitted from said server to establish a GUI, designates said specific service using the established GUI, and receives said specific service from said server,   wherein one of the plurality of graphic user interface structures which are different in metaphor image from each other but function to provide the same service is selectable by a user of one of said plurality of terminal equipments by the user making a selection on a display screen provided on said one of said plurality of terminal equipments in response to a metaphor change request outputted from said one of said plurality of terminal equipments.   
     
     
       2. A multi-media data communication system according to claim 1, wherein said server transmits a default one of said plurality of GUI structures only in response to an inputted service request with no identifier data for designating one GUI structure. 
     
     
       3. A multi-media data communication system according to claim 2, wherein each of said plurality of GUI structures has one identifier data for designating said GUI structure, wherein when receiving said GUI structure transmitted from said server, said request issuing terminal equipment stores the identifier data contained in said transmitted GUI structure, and   wherein the stored identifier data is used for a next issuance of the service request by said request issuing terminal equipment.   
     
     
       4. A multi-media data communication system according to claim 1, wherein said server further includes a metaphor changing structure, transmits said metaphor changing structure to said request issuing terminal equipment together with a list of GUI designating data for said plurality of GUI structures in response to the metaphor change request, and transmits to said request issuing terminal equipment a new GUI structure finally designated by said request issuing terminal equipment, and wherein said request issuing terminal equipment issues the metaphor changing request to said server, and selects one of the GUI designating data for said plurality of GUI structures in accordance with said metaphor changing structure to finally designate the new GUI structure.   
     
     
       5. A multi-media data communication system according to claim 4, wherein said request issuing terminal equipment issues, for finally designating the new GUI structure, to said server a sample request for designating one of said plurality of GUI structures in accordance with said metaphor changing structure and the list of GUI designating data for of said plurality of GUI structures, and wherein said server transmits to said request issuing terminal equipment a part of one GUI structure designated by the sample request from said request issuing terminal equipment, and then transmits to said request issuing terminal equipment the remaining part of GUI structure finally designated by said request issuing terminal equipment.   
     
     
       6. A multi-media data communication system according to claim 4, wherein said plurality of GUI structures include a room image, a town image and a character image, wherein said plurality of GUI structures are individually selectable by a user from a single display screen of said request issuing terminal equipment based on a particular GUI structure provided to said request issuing terminal equipment by said server in response to the metaphor changing request issued by said request issuing terminal equipment, and   wherein said user is allowed to change to a particular one of said plurality GUI structures in order to select one of said plurality of GUI structures for said request issuing terminal equipment.   
     
     
       7. A multi-media data communication system according to claim 1, wherein each of said plurality of GUI structures has a hierarchical structure composed of a plurality of layers, each of which includes an image data for each of said plurality of layers and a service program corresponding to the image data. 
     
     
       8. A multi-media data communication system according to claim 7, wherein said server further includes a section for registering an additional GUI structure newly produced in said server. 
     
     
       9. A multi-media data communication system according to claim 1, wherein said request issuing terminal equipment further includes a section for modifying the GUI structure transmitted from said server and registering the modified GUI structure in said server. 
     
     
       10. A method of providing a service using a user friendly type of graphic user interface (GUI) in a multimedia data communication system, comprising the steps of: providing in a server a plurality of GUI hierarchical structures which are different in metaphor image from each other but function to provide the same service, wherein each of said plurality of GUI hierarchical structures is composed of GUI structures of a plurality of layers and each of said GUI structures is composed of an image data and control program;   issuing a service request including a metaphor designating data for designing a specific one of said plurality of GUI hierarchical structures and a terminal identifier of a request issuing terminal equipment of a plurality of terminal equipments from said request issuing terminal equipment to said server, the service request being made based on a selection by a user of the specific one of said plurality of GUI hierarchical structures from a display of a list of said plurality of GUI hierarchical structures on a display screen of said request issuing terminal equipment;   determining in said server whether said request issuing terminal equipment is allowed to receive a service and whether the service request includes the metaphor designating data when it is determined that said request issuing terminal equipment is allowed to receive said service;   transmitting the GUI structures of the specific one of said plurality of GUI hierarchical structures designated by the metaphor designating data from said server to said request issuing terminal equipment in response to the service request when the service request includes the metaphor designating data;   designating a specific service through the transmission of the GUI structures from said server and selections in said request issuing terminal equipment;   providing to said request issuing terminal equipment the specific service designated by said request issuing terminal equipment based on said transmitted GUI structures; and   receiving said specific service from said server in said request issuing terminal equipment.   
     
     
       11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of transmitting one GUI hierarchical structure in a top layer of a default one of said plurality of GUI structures in response to the service request when it is determined that the service request includes no metaphor designating data. 
     
     
       12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the step of storing the metaphor designating data contained in the transmitted GUI hierarchical structure in said request issuing terminal equipment for the next service request. 
     
     
       13. A method according to claim 10, further comprising the steps of: issuing a metaphor changing request from said request issuing terminal equipment to said server;   transmitting a metaphor changing structure from said server to said request issuing terminal equipment together with a list of metaphor designating data of said plurality of GUI hierarchical structures in response to the metaphor changing request; and   transmitting from said server to said request issuing terminal equipment a new GUI structure finally designated by said request issuing terminal equipment using the list of metaphor designating data of said plurality of GUI hierarchical structures and said metaphor changing structure.   
     
     
       14. A method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of registering an additional GUI structure in said server. 
     
     
       15. A multi-media data communication system comprising: a server having a plurality of graphic user interface (GUI) structures which are different in metaphor image from each other but function to provide the same service, wherein each of said plurality of GUI structures has a hierarchical structure composed of a plurality of layers, wherein each of said plurality of GUI structures has a plurality of selection paths to each of which a set of image data and service program corresponding to the image data is provided, and wherein said server sequentially transmits sets of image data and service program for the plurality of layers in a specific one of said plurality of GUI structures in response to an inputted service request including GUI designating data for designating one GUI structure and selections in each of the plurality of layers, and provides a specific service designated based on said transmitted GUI structure; and   a plurality of terminal equipments which are connected to said server via a bidirectional communication line and each of which is capable of issuing the service requests, wherein a request issuing terminal equipment of said plurality of terminal equipments issues the service request to said server via said bidirectional communication line, sequentially receives the sets of image data and service program for the plurality of layers in the specific one of said plurality of GUI structures to execute the selections for the specific service using the received sets, and receives said specific service from said server.   
     
     
       16. A multi-media data communication system according to claim 15, wherein said server transmits a default one of said plurality of GUI structures in response to an inputted service request with no GUI designating data. 
     
     
       17. A multi-media data communication system according to claim 15, wherein said server further has a data indicative of a current layer and determines the set of image data and service program to be transmitted next, in accordance with said current layer data and the selection in the current layer. 
     
     
       18. A multi-media data communication system according to claim 15, wherein said server further includes a metaphor changing structure, transmits said metaphor changing structure to said request issuing terminal equipment together with a list of GUI designating data of said plurality of GUI structures in response to a metaphor change request, and transmits to said request issuing terminal equipment a new GUI structure finally designated by said request issuing terminal equipment, and wherein said request issuing terminal equipment issues the metaphor changing request to said server, selects one of the GUI designating data of said plurality of GUI structures in accordance with said metaphor changing structure to finally designate the new GUI structure.   
     
     
       19. A multi-media data communication system according to claim 15, wherein said server further includes a section for registering an additional GUI structure in said server. 
     
     
       20. A multi-media data communication system according to claim 15, wherein said request issuing terminal equipment further includes a section for registering an additional GUI structure in said server.